Thank You Remy
by Farhanah
Summary: [ON HIATUS] After Remy's death, mother and son drifted apart. And Remy somehow, managed to salvage their relationship. How? Well, I'm not telling. You'll have to read to find out for yourself. WARNING: Inevitable coarse language.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Remy LeBeau or Rogue, Marvel and Rich Guy Stan Lee do; and Jeremy is not mine either, he is someone else's. This fanfic was inspired by a Boyz II Men's hit, A Song For Mama (which was supposed to be a songfic originally…)**

**Anyway, please read, review and enjoy! Thank you.

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_I hate you, mom. I **despise **you. Because of you, my pere's dead and for what! For your **pig-headedness**, that's what. I wish you were the one dead instead!_

_Je vous detéste, la chienne d'une mere. #I hate you, bitch of a mother.#_

Those words rang in her ears as she slid down against the wall of her bedroom, tears cascading down her face in furious rivulets. She had had a fight again with Jeremy who wanted to avenge for his pere's unjustified demise.

Rogue's lips trembled as she recalled her first fight with her teenage son since Remy died. And she could feel her fragile heart shattering into smithereens again.

(!#$&**Flashback**&$#!)

"_Mom! You're being unfair here! Why does Nathan get to attend Danger Room sessions with everyone else and I can't?" _

"_Because you're not as strong yet," Rogue reasoned with Jeremy calmly, hoping quietly that he would not bring up the topic about mutation._

"_Nathan's mutation just begun and it's as haywire as hell. Even the Professor has said that he has to be mighty careful or there'll be some very grievous injuries."_

"_I know, baby. But at least he can fight."_

"_I do too!"_

"_Listen to me, Jeremy. Yes, you can fight but your skills are not good enough to even get you through Level 1. What about other Levels?" Rogue tried to convince Jeremy to forget about the Danger Room for the time being, "Once you're better, I promise to let you play with the Danger Room okay?"_

"_No! That could take forever! You don't let me smoke or go to the mall, hell, you wouldn't even let me go beyond the boundaries of this mansion without supervision. What am I suppose to do in here? I feel suffocated, you know. If only pere were still here, he'd definitely let me do my own stuff!" _

"_But –" Rogue tried to defend her stand but she was cut off rudely._

"_I hate you, mom. I **despise **you. Because of you, my pere's dead and for what! For your **pig-headedness**, that's what. I wish you were the one dead instead!" Jeremy stormed out of the room, pausing at the threshold with anger burning in his orbs, "Je vous detéste, la chienne d'une mere. #I hate you, bitch of a mother.#"_

_With that said, he left the room without another word. _

_Rogue stood rooted to the spot, shock clearly written on her face. She trembled and her knees buckled under her, suddenly feeling so drained and sad. Hot tears rolled down her pillowy cheeks as she cried into her hands, breaking her vow never to cry again. _

"_Jeremy baby, I never want things to be like these for you. You don't know what the world is really like out there. I just lost your dad, I don't think I can take it if something happens to you too," Rogue mumbled into her hands, sobs choking her occasionally. _

_A pair of striking eyes was watching Rogue break down and quietly, they withdrew, grievance burning evidently in the eyes. _

(!#$&**End of Flashback**&$#!)

'Oh God, I miss you Remy. I miss you so much,' Rogue thought as she tugged on his beloved trench coat and hugged herself, as a poor substitute of having his strong arms around her.

(!#$&**Flashback**&$#!)

"_Eh chere, where's Remy's coat? Remy remembers dumping it on the chair."_

"_I don't know. Have you tried the coat rack?" Rogue replied impishly._

"_Come on chere, Remy can't go like this. He feels naked, vous savez #you know#."_

_-Calling for all X-Men. We will be taking off in five minutes.- An announcement crackled through their communicators._

"_We've got to move, Rem," Rogue said and she tugged her husband towards their son's room._

"_Cette fille sera la mort de moi. #This girl will be the death of me.#" Remy mumbled._

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"_Our parents will be going on a mission in Michigan right?" _

"_Yeah, that's what I heard. Why'd you ask?"_

"_Nothing, just wondering how far away that is from here," Nathan said and shrugged his bony shoulders._

_**Knock, knock.**_

"_Come in!"_

"_Hey boys, we'll be heading out now. Take care of each other and lend Amara (their sitter) a hand or two okay?" Rogue told Nathan and Jeremy as she hugged and gave a little peck to her baby and a gentle squeeze on Nathan's shoulder. _

_Remy just gave the boys a rough ruffle on their heads each._

"_Pere!"_

_The parents laughed and bade farewell, walking hand-in-hand towards the hangar where the rest were gathered. _

"_So, chere, are you going to return Remy his coat?"_

"_Nope." And off she skipped._

(!#$&**End of Flashback**&$#!)

'Well, I guess I don't regret keeping your trench coat away from you, Rem,' Rogue mused as she took in his scent, that intoxicating mix of spices and cigarette smoke, still lingering on the coat. She burrowed herself deep into the oversized trench coat and leaned against the headboard of her bed. A tear escaped and she hastily wiped it away.

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"Hey, where's Rogue? I haven't seen her at all today after our training."

"Where else would she be if not her room?" Kitty sighed and answered her husband's question with a question.

"Again!"

"I think she just had another fight with Jeremy. Poor Rogue."

"What are we going to do?"

"Let's give her some space and privacy. Come on, there's something I've been meaning to show you."

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Jeremy was in his room, sitting on the windowsill and staring out into the vast greenery. He felt bad for fighting his mother and doing things that she had strictly forbidden him. He felt bad for hurting her feelings and for all the hurtful things he had said to her. He knew that she still blamed herself for what happened to his pere, but he just could not help feeling that she was, after all, the reason why his pere died.

He let his eyes roamed around his room, stopping at his dresser. There were picture frames of his family and friends, his parents and him and candid shots taken a week before the uneventful day.

He looked at a picture of the three of them that was taken on his 13th birthday. Rogue and Remy were smiling broadly and laughing in the picture while Jeremy had a very light red tint in his cheeks. He had been embarrassed by his parents who showed everyone in the mansion a video of him sleeping. It was a rather well-establish word-of-mouth that he was a really dramatic sleeper, especially after a hard day of fun, so, to have others watch the video was like a confirmation to the rumour.

He laughed quietly as he remembered the day.

'Gosh, je vous manque, pere #I miss you, dad#. I would give anything just to spend another day or two with you. Even if it is a replica of _Jeremy's Date_,' Jeremy wished as he tilted his head back to keep the tears from spilling.

(!#$&**Flashback**&$#!)

_'Man, I'm so nervous. What if I screw up and make a royal fool out of myself? I'll be the laughing stock of the mansion for weeks,' Jeremy thought as he dressed up for his date with a new girl in town. He gelled up his unruly copper-and-white locks carefully and tied his laces into perfect little bows. He stood up and dusted off imaginary dust from his jacket._

_He left his room and made his way into his parents' bedroom, the scent of vanilla wafting past him. Rogue had just emerged from her shower, steam clouding the bathroom. Wet hair plastered to her head, the emerald orbs wide and slim toned arms wrapped around her svelte figure, a hand clenching the towel shut to her ample chest._

'_Woohoo, my mom is one hell of a sexy woman,' Jeremy thought._

"_Yes, honey? Care to share what you were smirking about?" Rogue asked with a perfect eyebrow arched._

"_Nothing mom," Jeremy replied with a laugh, "Pas étonnant que le pere vous a choisi #No wonder dad chose you#."_

"_Come again…"_

"_Nothing mom, nothing. I'll be at The Shack with Rosalyn okay?" _

"_Sure honey. Hmm…you're looking smart." Rogue commented and nodded her head in approval. _

_Jeremy smiled in satisfaction and sprayed a little of Remy's cologne on himself. He proceeded to give a small kiss to Rogue and went on his merry way, humming his favourite tune._

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"_Hello? Petit, are you on your way?"_

"_Yes Sir, I should be there in another minute."_

"_Good, good. Ring me again once you're here okay, petit?"_

"_Sure Mr LeBeau."_

"_See ya when you get here."_

'_Je suis allant apprécier ceci. Petit Jeremy, vous êtes si descendant. #I am going to enjoy this. Little Jeremy, you are so going down#' a shadowed figure around the corner mumbled and grinned evilly as he rubbed his hands in glee. _

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'_The Shack is a 10-minute walk from here. I think I'll take the shortcut. That way, I can snip off a rose for Rosalyn. I'm sure she'd like that,' Jeremy thought as he played with his Swiss Army knife and resumed humming._

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_Trutt, trutt. Trutt, trutt._

"_Bonjour, Remy LeBeau speaking."_

"_Mr LeBeau, I'm walking towards the gate now…Wow! This place is huge!"_

"_Oui #yes# petite," Remy replied as he strode quickly over to the humongous gates of the mansion. _

"_Ah, there you are Mademoiselle Edwards. Come in, come in," Remy invited Rosalyn into the neat compound and bent forward to kiss her knuckles gently, "Welcome to our humble abode." _

_Rosalyn blushed and stammered, "Umm…you…I…"_

"_Oh no, it's nothing like that Mademoiselle Edwards. It's just Remy's way of greeting belle dames #beautiful ladies#" Remy said and laughed._

"_Oh…thank you for the compliment, Mr LeBeau," Rosalyn flushed and tucked her silky blond locks behind an ear, "And please, call me Rosalyn." _

"_If you insist, petite."_

_Remy walked Rosalyn into the mansion's living room and Rosalyn proceeded to sit herself down. Meanwhile, Remy was in the kitchen getting his guest a drink. _

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'_Why do I have this feeling that something is going to happen? Something big…something…catastrophic,' Rogue wondered as her instincts nagged at her incessantly, "Oh well, it won't be a first, that's for sure."_

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_Remy walked out of the kitchen carrying two tall glasses of chilled Dr. Pepper, barely smothering his infamous mischievous grin. He handed a glass to Rosalyn and got himself comfortable. Rosalyn chatted about Jeremy animatedly and Remy simply nodded his head and smiled or laughed. In reality, Remy was not listening to Rosalyn; he was merely hearing her. His ears were trained to the door conjoining the room to the wings._

'_Rogue, checked. Kitchen, checked. The rubber, checked. Coast, checked.' Remy ran a checklist quickly through his head as he continued 'chatting' with Rosalyn. _

_A familiar whistling caught Remy's attention and he excused himself to go to the kitchen to get something. Rosalyn nodded her acknowledgement. _

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'_Par le crochet ou par le crochet, garcon. Par le crochet ou par le crochet #By hook or by crook, boy. By hook or by crook#' Remy mumbled._

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'_I wonder why Mr LeBeau call me over. He hasn't even given me any explanation,' Rosalyn thought over. 'Eh? That sounds like…'_

"_I dream of rain (a leh e ye leh). I dream of gardens in the desert sand." Jeremy was singing and dancing along to the song as he pranced into the living room. _

_Rosalyn gasped and her jaw slacked. Jeremy locked and looked up in reflex. _

_He blushed furiously when he saw Rosalyn staring at him, dancing and all. _

"_Uh…how long have you been here?"_

"_About 5 minutes or so…you…uh…you look cute…"_

_Jeremy was surprised and gawked openly at Rosalyn. _

"_Mon Dieu #My God# you're…so…beautiful…" Jeremy said softly, mesmerised by her beauty, and indeed she was._

_Rosalyn's blonde locks were pulled up into a high ponytail with several strands of hair framing her small face. The eyelashes were long and thick, her piercing blue eyes sharp and clear. Her skin glowed and she was dressed in a simple dress that reached her knees. A few bracelets and two small hoop earrings adorned her. _

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_Remy snickered as he watched the dates staring at each other. He tugged the long rubber and gripped it hard in his hands. _

'_So long petit,' Remy muttered and squeezed the trigger._

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_**FWOOSH! **_

_Both Rosalyn and Jeremy turned to look at the sound. Freezing cold water gushed out of the end of the garden hose and engulfed Jeremy in its body even before he could blink. Instinctively, he burrowed his head into his jacket. _

_Meanwhile, Rosalyn was trying desperately to cover her giggles as she watched Jeremy fend off the water. She spied Remy from the corner of his eye, torturing his son and grinning maniacally. _

'_THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!' Jeremy thought angrily, swearing to kill Nathan – whom he believed to be the one behind his attack – and dismember him savagely._

_He clenched his jacket and ran towards the direction of the water, tackling Remy, who was laughing too much to notice that he was pinned under his son. _

"_Pere!" Disbelief and rage rang in Jeremy's voice as he stared down at his dad._

"_Huh? Oh!" With a chuckle, Remy flipped his boy over his head and took off down the living room, laughing. _

_He passed by Rosalyn and winked at her and she laughed._

_Jeremy, on the other hand, was hot on his heels, pursuing his attacker with only murder in mind. However, being the smaller one, he was widening the distance between Remy and himself fast, so he used the next feasible idea._

"_**MOM!**" Jeremy hollered at the top of his lungs and detoured to his parents' bedroom. _

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"_Is that Jeremy screaming?" Rogue wondered.  
_

_No sooner did she mention those words, her bedroom door slammed open._

"_Wha –" _

"_Where's pere, Mom?" _

"_I don't know, sweetie," Rogue replied and moved over hastily to her drenched-to-the-bone son. "Come, let's get you dried first."_

"_N-no…" The surge of adrenaline rushing into his blood vessels had slowed down, leaving Jeremy a little shaky on his feet._

"_Yes you will young man. You're shivering and chattering."_

"_N-n-no…I…I'm n-n-not."_

_Rogue raised an eyebrow and glared at him. He sighed in defeat and trudged into the bathroom, grudgingly. Rogue rubbed his arms and tried to warm him up a little. She gave him a peck on the cheek and left to fetch the boy some dry clothes. _

'_Some things will never change,' Rogue thought and smiled fondly._

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_Rosalyn wondered around the room, looking at all the decorations in greater detail. Bits and pieces of conversations floated into the room and Rosalyn watched as several couples banter._

"_Orlando Bloom is such a heart-throb, isn't he?"_

"_Yeah, like, totally!"_

"_Gosh, you'd think the girls would have been over that phase a long ago."_

"_Yeah. Makes me want to puke."_

"_Hey! You guys are just jealous."_

"_Yeah? Says who? The Orlando-Bloom-is-such-a-heart-throb gang?" Bobby scoffed and the guys seconded._

"_Why, you –"_

"_Guys! Cool it. We've got company." Everyone turned to look in Rosalyn's direction and walked towards her._

"_Hey! Why is there a totally wet patch here!" _

"_Oh, there was a little incident." Jubilee grumbled at the answer, muttering about living with brats and immature, hormone-driven adolescents._

"_Jean, could you levitate the water? And Bobby, you'll freeze it. Kitty can phase that thing out to the yard." The trio quickly got the mess cleaned up and continued on with their little meeting. _

"_Hi! You're Rosalyn Edwards, aren't you?" Kurt asked and extended his hand, "I'm Kurt Wagner. These are…"_

_After the introductions were made, everyone went their separate ways except for Kurt. He was keeping the girl company while he waited for Remy to appear again. A hand bearing a small white flag poked its way into the room, waving it. _

"_Remy surrenders." _

_Both Rosalyn and Kurt burst in laughter. "Hey Remy. Welcome back." _

"_Is the garcon #boy# around?"_

"_You would have kissed the ground if he were here, you know."_

"_Okay." With that, Remy entered the room, grinning like an idiot. _

"_What happened, dude? Wait, I don't think I want to know. Knowing you, I'd say the 'little incident' was pretty scarring."_

_Remy laughed, "You really don't want to know, mon ami #my friend#." _

_The guest continued chatting with her two hosts, exchanging adventurous stories and anecdotes. Time passed rather quickly and the company was really enjoying themselves when Rogue summoned Remy telepathically, 'Hey sugah. Could you come up for a second? Thanks Swamp Rat.'_

"_Please excuse Remy for a moment. He has been summoned by his Queen." Remy did a little bow and hurried off._

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_Sniffle, sniffle. _

"_Mom! I'm fine. Honestly! It's just a little cold."_

"_No you're not, Jeremy. You're sniffling and you're still cold," Rogue said and gently tugged on her son's nose._

"_That's the whole point! In order for me to get rid off the cold, I have to be all warmed up. And the least I could do is have a walk outside."_

"_You know, I think you're right. You could warm up by taking a walk."_

"_I told you. So, can I go now?"_

"_Not yet, young man. I'm not finished." Jeremy scowled in annoyance. "I did say you could go for a walk but I did not say outside."_

"_What!"_

"_You got it. I meant in the mansion. You could show Rosalyn around," Rogue suggested._

"_Merde! #Shit!# She's not going to talk to me. Not after I make such a fool of myself."_

"_Now, now. She's your date and you're not going to ditch your date after a small episode, are you?"_

"_No way, mom! No gentleman ditches his date. I'll be on my way now. See you later," Jeremy declared and walked down the corridor towards the living room. _

'_Remy sure has the boy tamed,' Rogue thought in amusement as she cleared her bathroom. _

'_Hey sugah. Could you come up for a second? Thanks Swamp Rat.' Rogue sent out a message to Remy telepathically._

"_Yes chere, you called for vous Roi #your King#?"_

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_"Okay, here goes nothing. Do or die," Jeremy mumbled as he walked with a racing heart. His feet felt as heavy as lead and his hands were cold and clammy. He clenched his hands into fists and shoved them into the pockets of his NASCAR sweatshirt. He had pulled the hood over his head and his head was bowed, emerald-onyx eyes staring fixatedly to the ground. _

_He walked into the living room silently, standing away from Kurt and Rosalyn. He was still too embarrassed to greet Rosalyn. He felt vicious anger sear his mind again but it died away just as quickly as it surfaced. He might be angry at Remy but there was no way he could be angry at his pere for long. There was something about his pere that made him lovable and adorable despite his world-class annoyance._

_Kurt heard a scuffle near the threshold of the living room and looked up discretely. He saw Jeremy shuffled restlessly and he tried to make eye contact with Jeremy without alerting Rosalyn to Jeremy's presence. He did not want to make Jeremy any more uncomfortable than he already was._

_'Come on Jeremy. Look at me,' Kurt hoped as he tried to call out to Jeremy telepathically. Jeremy must have heard because he looked up. Kurt gave a minute nod in Jeremy's direction and excused himself, saying that her date has arrived._

_Rosalyn whipped her head around and smiled at the blushing boy. He smiled back tightly. Rosalyn patted beside her seat, indicating for him to have a seat beside her. He gulped a lump in his throat and made his way slowly over to her. Kurt passed by him and whispered a word or two of encouragement._

_He sat beside Rosalyn stiffly, suddenly unsure of what to do. All of his confidence had gone down the drain. A moment passed and they were still like how they were a moment ago. Rosalyn leaned a little over to Jeremy. _

_In Jeremy's mind: 'SHE'S LEANING OVER TO ME!'_

"_Relax," Rosalyn said quietly. She could see that Jeremy was nervous and all tensed up. "I'm not going to hurt you."_

_Slowly she moved her hands over to his sweatshirt, her hands resting softly by the hood. Immediately Jeremy snapped his eyes shut tightly. He knew what Rosalyn was going to do. He bowed his head further down. That little motion did not deter Rosalyn from doing what she wanted: To get Jeremy's hood off. _

_Slowly and silently Rosalyn pulled the hood back and down, lightly running her fingers against Jeremy's smooth and reddened complexion. A shudder ran down Jeremy's spine and he clenched his fists till the knuckles turned white. _

_A minute passed and neither Jeremy nor Rosalyn had moved and Rosalyn was still staring at Jeremy, who still had his head bowed. _

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_"Aww man. Come on petit. Do something and stop ignoring your date." Remy groaned in irritation as he watched Jeremy and his date. "Do you think we should do something about this, chere?"_

_Rogue twirled around in her husband's embrace and stared into his enchanting eyes, concern lingering in them. She thought over what he said and shook her head. "No. I think you've done enough damage to our baby for today."_

_"Chere, you wound Remy," Remy pouted, tightening his husky voice a little and quivered his lower lip._

_Rogue swatted Remy on the arm and smiled._

_"Let's leave them to their own devices," Rogue said as she sashayed her way out of her husband's embrace and to their bedroom, "By the way, something is waiting for you in our room."_

_Remy's eyes lit up at the thought and raced out towards their room._

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_Rosalyn gave a small sigh and thought, 'Looks like I have to be the initiator.'_

_Slowly, she hooked a finger under Jeremy's chin and lifted it up. Jeremy reddened even more and kept his sight fixated to the floor, still too embarrassed to face her._

_"It's okay, Jeremy. I'm not going to laugh at you," Rosalyn pleaded as she caressed Jeremy's cheek. He shook his head vehemently._

_"Please…" Rosalyn whispered so softly, the pleading distinctly audible._

_Jeremy felt his heart constricted a little as his sharp hearing picked up on the thread of hope in her barely audible voice. He steeled himself with disappointment and raised his gaze with the speed of a sloth and moved his eyes to look at Rosalyn. She smiled shyly at him and said, "Hi."_

_"Hey there," Jeremy croaked as he forced the words out of his dry mouth._

_"Are you okay?"_

_"Yeah...I will be."_

_Silence. They kept glancing at each other, quickly averting their eyes when the other met their eyes. A thought struck Jeremy and he looked at Rosalyn until he had her attention._

_"Um, how about a walk around here? I could give you a tour," Jeremy offered hesitantly as the crimson colour in his face drained._

_"I'd like that." Rosalyn smiled._

_Jeremy stood up, running his hands over his clothes to smoothen out the wrinkles and reached out a hand to her, "Shall we begin?"_

_Rosalyn smiled warmly and slipped her hand into Jeremy's. Grasping her delicate hand gently, he pulled her up by his side._

_"__This mansion was built by…" _

_Jeremy explained to Rosalyn as they walked across the mansion's living room, hand in hand. _

(!#$&**End of Flashback**&$#!)

Jeremy scrubbed roughly at the tears that caressed his cheeks and his tear-blurred eyes. A shadow passed quickly which Jeremy caught at the corner of his eyes.

Jeremy turned on his heels and called out. "Pere? Is that you?"

Silence.

"Pere…"

Silence.

'I must be going crazy. Totally crazy,' Jeremy thought and shook his head as he clambered out of his bedroom window and into the freezing cold of the night.

* * *

**Author's Note: **This is only the beginning to the whole story…or is it? Anyway, I hope you would review and tell me what you think of this chapter because I thought I suck at some parts. 

Thanks for reading again…


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: **Nothing is mine, except for the plot. Anything in Marvel universe is not mine. Never had, never has, never will, never would.

Review responses are at the end of the chapter.

Rogue was seated in the midst of photo albums scattered on her bed. In her hands were some of her favourite pictures of them: Remy, Jeremy and herself. She stared longingly at one of the pictures taken at one of Jeremy's birthday parties when he was younger. Remy was on the right and she was on the other side, with their beaming baby boy sandwiched in between.

'We were so happy, Rem. Whatever happened to the smiles?' Rogue thought wistfully as she caressed Remy's face on the glossed paper with a soft finger.

_They died the day you decided to be a difficult freaking bitch,_ a small voice in her answered.

She lowered her head and a tear glistened as it dropped onto the photo.

'If only I could turn back time…' Rogue thought for the umpteenth time, 'If only…'

(!#$&**Flashback of The Day**&$#!)

"Come on chere, we don't have time," Remy urged as he dodged a falling beam. The rapidly collapsing building shuddered again, throwing Rogue off her feet.

"NO! You go first! I'll be right behind you!"

"NON #NO# Rogue. We'll come back for him. Je promets #I promise#."

"_NO! I WILL NOT LEAVE KURT HERE, YOU HEAR ME!" Rogue shouted at Remy, fury burning clearly in the eyes of her soot-covered face. _

"_BUT HE IS DEAD, ROGUE! **DEAD!**" Remy had reached the end of his patience. The fuse had completely burnt out and Remy shook with barely bridled rage. He stormed over to Rogue, roughly seizing her arm and pulled her away from Kurt Wagner's lifeless body. _

_Rogue squirmed under Remy's vice grip and snatched her arm back. Quickly, she grabbed Remy by his neck and he was thrown to the far end of the room. _

_"Stay away from me," Rogue hissed venomously and she ran to Kurt._

_Rogue dug her hands into the piles of rubble that buried Kurt underneath. She worked at them furiously and speedily, never feeling the pain or the burns her hands were subjected to. _

_**Creeeaaak**._

_A metal beam screeched as the stress of a huge concrete piece proved too much. Steel reinforcements jutted out of the falling concrete precariously. It slowly but surely slid off the smooth beam, regardless of circumstances. Rogue, however, remained oblivious to the danger that hovered above her._

"_**Chere! Get out of the way!**" Remy screamed from across the room as he pulled himself off from the crates he had fallen into when Rogue sent him flying. He watched with growing horror and scrambled madly for her._

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"_Guys! Wait up! We're missing three X-Men!" Jean Grey alerted the team as she did a quick head count again. _

"_Rogue, Remy and Kurt. I think they're still in the Shaw Building."_

"_What!"_

"_Popsicle, you'll lead the team back to Blackbird. Half-pint and Wolf, fire up the engines and prepare for takeoff. Cyke and Red, keep a lookout for dangers," Logan barked and turned a hundred eighty degrees. He turned his upper torso to face them and growled, "Anyone who decides to be smart will have Danger Room sessions with me personally and 3 months of **SNIKT** Simulation 25." With the little forceful suggestion out of the way, Logan tore out of the marsh._

"_Come on people, let's get moving. You heard the Canadian." _

_Everyone filed in pairs and trooped through the wetland and up into the waiting Blackbird. _

_Jamie Madrox, a new recruit, nudged his partner, Sam Guthrie. "What's Simulation 25?"_

"_The toughest programme in the Danger Room, where you will face all mutants, good or evil, through all sorts of terrain," Sam said as he remembered the harrowing experience._

"_Sentinels?"_

"_Sentinels too." And Jamie, understandably, shuddered too._

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_Logan kept running, occasionally using his heightened senses to keep track of where he was. He brandished his claws around, slicing plants, trees and anything that blocked his path. _

_There it was, the Shaw Building. He stopped for a moment when an ear-splitting scream pierced the stuffy air. He tensed before dashing off even faster towards the building as he prayed._

"_Lord, please let them be alright…"_

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"_Come on Remy. Stay with me! Stay with me! Please!" Rogue kept crying as she gripped Remy's hand tightly. With the other hand, she ran it tentatively across his savagely torn body. She felt her stomach lurched and twisted when her fingers brushed against one of the reinforcement rods that punctured her beloved. (**A/N: Imagine the scene after Neo and Trinity crashed into a building in Machine City in The Matrix Revolution.)** _

"_Sugah, I'm going to remove the rods all right?" Rogue whispered into Remy's ear._

_Remy gave a very small nod. Rogue closed her eyes and called up for two psyches: Shadowcat's and Blob's. Concentrating solely on the two, she got down to work. She relaxed her tense body and freed her mind of all worries and anxiety. She tapped into intangibility and inhumane strength. _

_Slowly, she opened her eyes and gripped as many rods as her two hands could. Quickly and smoothly she phased the poles and bent them away from Remy. She repeated for another handful until they were a safe distance from the dripping red poles. _

_Rogue pressed her hands on the wounds and the remaining wounds were held down with psyche Jean's telekinetic power. Warm blood seeped between Rogue's fingers, and she added pressure onto the wounds to stem the profuse bleeding faster. _

"_Rogue…" Remy's voice was so soft it was like a gentle breeze and he coughed, thick crimson liquid trickling down his chin. _

"_Hush sugah. Don't talk. Just rest okay? Help will be here soon," Rogue said as she tenderly cleaned up Remy's bloodied face. Psyche Jean had taken over where Rogue's hands were._

"_Non #no#…chere…" Remy gasped painfully, "Listen…to me…get out…while…you still…can…"_

"_No. Please don't make me, Rem. Look, I'm – " Rogue replied vehemently but Remy cut her off with a steely ruby-onyx gaze. _

"_Go…chere...if you…love me…Do it…for me…chere…s'il vous plait #please#…" The pained look in Remy's orbs made Rogue's small lips quiver. She was torn between staying with Remy and granting his wish._

"_Jeremy…still…needs you…Rogue…"_

_Jeremy! She had forgotten all about Jeremy! With everything that were happening, it had completely slipped her mind that any decision that she made would have an impact on Jeremy and his life. And losing his pere when there was a chance that he could be saved would devastate him for the rest of his life; something no sane parent would ever want for their baby. _

"_Rem…please…please hang on for Jeremy…for us…" Rogue pleaded desperately, hoping that somehow, her plea would give him strength to continue fighting. _

"_Chere…" Remy rasped and coughed violently, waves of spasms crashing throughout his torso. Rogue could only watch helplessly and stroke his hair while waiting for his coughing fit to subside. _

_A heavy breath of air burst from Remy's lips. "I can't…do…this…for…much…longer…chere…"_

_Rogue sighed and slumped her shoulders in defeat. She knew she was fighting a losing battle with Remy but she had to try. She just had to or her guilt would eat her up to the point where there would be no return.

* * *

_

_**No! You are not letting him go just like that, **a voice screamed in her head._

**Yes she will. He's too…damaged. He'll never make it far, **_another voice countered. _

**_But at least Jeremy gets to spend some last moments with Remy. You know she would too._**

**True, but I am not going to let her hurt him any further in expanse for something as selfish as that. **

_**Are you saying I am being…**_

**When you love someone so much, you will let him leave; even if it kills you.

* * *

**

Another tear dropped. Rogue knew what she had to do.

"What am I supposed to tell Jeremy?"

"Just…tell…him…the…truth…" Remy closed his eyes tiredly. The pull into the realm of oblivion was getting stronger and Remy could feel his soul drifting towards it.

Rogue caressed Remy's cheek and called out softly with a racing heart. "Rem…"

Remy opened his eyes lethargically and Rogue felt her breath hitched. His eyes were a little glazed and he looked at her as though he was staring out in space. His breaths were becoming shallower and he seemed paler than before.

"I…will…be…watching…over…you…et #and#…the…petit #little one#." Remy coughed again, expelling a mass of blood clot. "Je jure #I swear#."

Both husband and wife stared at each other, lost in the moment and solemnity of the truth.

"One last kiss, sugah?"

Remy nodded his consent. Despite the sudden surge of liquid pain in his veins, Remy pushed himself up with some help from Rogue.

Rogue bent forward until her velvet lips were within an inch to Remy's lips when Remy say forth the three sweet little words, "Je…t'aime… Rogue #I love you, Rogue#."

"Je t'aime aussi, Remy #I love you too, Remy#." And their lips met for the last time.

Remy inevitably grew limp in his wife's embrace and wilted away to the world of the deceased.

"**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" **

Rogue screamed in anguish, her tear-streaked face facing heavenward. Clouds gathered and darkened, reflecting the unleashed sorrow. Lightning cracked across the black clouds and they opened up. Torrents of rain splattered down to earth, drenching both Southerners. Claps of thunder rumbled and streams of rain kept falling as if the Heavens too, were crying for the befallen soldier, who was a son, a father, a husband and a friend to many.

Rogue sobbed into Remy's blood-caked chest and rocked back and forth, as if hoping to will back some life into him, however implausible.

Je t'aime, Jeremy #I love you, Jeremy#. Those were Remy's departing words.

(!#$&**End of Flashback**&$#!)

Rogue cried into her hands, her fragile heart shattered again. Her tears flowed unchecked and she fought to control the overwhelming emotions.

'I can't lose control again!' Rogue thought frantically.

She fought mentally with all that she had, forcefully reminding herself that she still had a son to live for. Her opponents retaliated even harder and Rogue felt swamped.

'Get off me, you frig!' Rogue screamed at an opponent that had clung to her. She put up a fierce struggle, vigour, anger and sorrow fuelling her.

'HELP! SOMEONE! PLEASE!' Rogue cried but no one could hear her, not even Jean, the residential telepath. Unknown to the Rogue, her enemies, the raging emotions, had built a shield so strong around her mind that she was literally sealed off from anyone.

Her breathing laboured and spots were dancing in her vision. She felt the walls of her mind closing in on her. Still she fought, although feebly now.

'What is happen- ' The last word died on her lips and her eyes shut close.

(!#$&**In Rogue's Mind**&$#!)

A hand patted gently on Rogue's cheek. It hit a little harder when Rogue did not stir from her slumber.

"She sure is stubborn," a voice murmured. Another few seconds passed and the hand stopped its patting motion.

"Time to change tactics." With that, a pair of thin lips proceeded to place a loving kiss on Rogue's forehead.

"Ugh…my head…" Rogue moaned as she slowly stirred awake.

"ARGH!" Rogue screamed when a face was in hers. "Etienne? What are you doing here?"

Etienne pouted childishly and said in a mock wounded tone, "I know I'm not as deviously handsome or as charming as Remy. But am I really that ugly that you had to scream?"

"Aw Etienne, don't be like that. You just surprised me, that's all." Rogue looked around, noting the blank walls and its slightly elongated spherical shape.

"Where are we and where's everyone?"

Etienne looked down, avoiding any eye contact with Rogue.

"Et?"

There was no answer.

"Let me ask you again: Where is everyone?" Rogue asked in a calm voice but undoubtedly lay a certain viciousness beneath the surface. The stifling atmosphere crackled dangerously with burning cold rage and nervousness.

Still, there was no answer.

Rogue has had enough. Her impatience had run out.

"ETIENNE MARCEAUX!"

Etienne jumped back a little in fright and a smooth yet familiar voice sliced through the stuffy air, "We're in your head, chere and everyone else is walled up at the back of your mind."

Hope glimmered in Rogue's eyes and she called out, "Remy? Is that you?"

Silence.

"Remy sugah. Where are you…" She called out again, refusal to lose hope evident in her posture.

Silence.

"Come on out, Remy. I know you're in here somewhere," Rogue bellowed into the open space as she looked around in hope of catching a glimpse of her dead husband.

"Chere…"

"Wha - " Rogue did not finish speaking as she whirled around wildly, eyes darting all over in search of the source of the voice.

"Chere…"

"Damn it Rem! Where the fucking hell are you!"

"Chere…"

This time, Rogue balled her hands into tight fists and dropped to her knees – hard. She squeezed her emerald orbs shut and rubbed her fists against her eyeballs lethargically. She had begun to lose hope as fast as she had dared to hope in the first place. With each passing second of silence, she could feel the proverbial ache creeping into her fractured heart again.

"Chere…"

Rogue refused to respond, instead, choosing to let the voice be.

"Chere…" A finger slid gently down Rogue's spine and her cold skin tingled.

"Why are you doing this to me? Haven't I suffered enough?" Rogue muttered as she choked out the words. She shivered as if the temperature had dipped.

"Chere…look at me…"

"No…"

"S'il vous plait #please# chere…"

"Non #no# Remy. I can't die all over again."

Remy sighed. He should have known that once his wife had made up her mind, there was nothing he could do to change it.

"Alright chere. I won't make you."

Instead, he placed his fingertips against Rogue's temples lightly and closed his eyes.

(!#$&**Back to the present**&$#!)

"Mom, can I talk to you for a minute?" Jeremy asked as he rapped on the door. He waited for another few seconds. "Mom?"

No answer.

"I'm coming in Mom," Jeremy said and he pushed open the door.

"Mom? Where are you?" Jeremy knew that his mother had to be in the room because he would have heard her if she had gone out of her room.

Jeremy walked around the spacious room, sticking his head into corners and enclosed spaces. 'Did they have to have such a huge room for sleeping?' Jeremy thought as he continued his quest.

He had checked out his mom's walk-in closet, the bathroom, the storage space, the small den, her favourite corner and she had yet to be found. Jeremy cursed his bad luck mutely and was heading out the door when he tripped carelessly. His knees smacked onto the floor hard and Jeremy fell against Rogue's king size bed.

"Frigging fucking asshole," Jeremy swore softly, knowing that he'd get a bump on the head if his mom heard. He pushed himself off the bed awkwardly when he felt his hand press on something soft and…cool.

"**MOM!**"

Jeremy clambered to his feet and tried to rouse Rogue.

"Mom. Wake up."

"Come on, Mom. Please wake up."

"HELP! SOMEONE, I NEED HELP HERE!"

Again, Jeremy shook his mom vehemently, in vain. Seconds passed and there was still no sound of help stampeding down the corridor or any sign that Rogue was awaking.

"Wake up Mom. Why won't you wake up?"

(!#$&**In Rogue's Mind**&$#!)

"Where am I?" Rogue remarked as she surveyed the place.

"We're in your subconscious, chere."

Rogue snapped her head around angrily. She was furious at him for invading her privacy, for shoving his dead ass into her face, for making her guilt-trip herself, for exploiting her weakness, for doing whatever the hell he wanted without giving a rat's fuck about her.

"You're wrong chere. I'm doing this because I still care for you."

"What do you know about caring for others! You don't do things for no reason, Remy. I know you."

"Then you would know why I'm doing this, chere."

"Hell yeah! Come on, spill it. What's the real reason?"

"Chere," Remy tried to cajole, moving discreetly towards her.

"Stay back! I don't need your slimy self near me!"

"Chere…"

"I said stay back, didn't I?" Rogue rebuked and teleported away from the place.

Remy sighed and muttered, "Why is chere making things difficult?" and gave chase.

(!#$&**Back to present**&$#!)

"Damn it! Where is anyone when I need help?" Jeremy said as he stroke Rogue's face, tracing small circles on her cheeks.

'Why won't you wake up Mom?' Jeremy thought as he looked around her room. Suddenly, it occurred to him that there was an intercom in every X-Men's bedroom in case of emergencies. He scanned the room briskly, locating the small square object near the bedroom door. He picked up a photo album and flung it towards the intercom, trying to jam the communication button. It broke.

In frustration, Jeremy screamed "SCREW EVERYONE!" and hung his head.

(!#$&**At the Med Lab**&$#!)

Henry 'Hank' McCoy was at his workbench where racks of test tubes, vials, innoculating loops, a microscope, a Bunsen burner, tongs, pegs, slides and glass covers sat neatly organised. He was running two experiments at the same time.

There were small movements as Hank dropped twenty drops of Benedict's solution into a few test tubes in front of him. With that, he stirred the content and placed them in a boiling water bath. While waiting for the chemical reaction to kick in, Hank started on his bacteria analysis.

Deft fingers quickly stroke a streak of bacterial culture onto a microscope slide and flamed. Once dried, a drop of red safranin was smeared onto the dried culture and placed on the microscope platform. A few turns of the coarse and fine knobs and the view came into focus.

A quick glance at the water bath and Hank carried on with his work, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony playing softly in the background.

Suddenly, **"CRASH!"**

'What was that all about,' Hank thought and rushed over to the patient ward.

Jeremy groaned as he felt a huge headache coming on. He looked down at Rogue and that was when he realised that he was no longer in his mother's room.

"Mr McCoy? Are you there?"

"Jeremy?"

"Help! Mom's not waking up. I don't know why."

Hank crossed the distance between them in a few big strides and proceeded to take over caring for Rogue when his hands passed through the LeBeaus.

"What!"

Jeremy looked up at Hank with frightened eyes, and Hank looked at them in shock. He tried again. There was nothing to the touch.

Gears spun and whirled in Hank's head as he contemplated what to do next. A clipboard slipped to the floor and something clicked in Hank's mind.

"Jeremy, try to move the clipboard."

Jeremy twisted a little and flicked the clipboard. It sailed smoothly down the cold tiled room.

Meanwhile, Hank was pacing about the room, trying to comprehend the phenomena that just happened. 'Jeremy can phase, in a way. But why does it happen when I touch him and otherwise with the clipboard? Selective phasing?' Hank thought as hypothesis after hypothesis churned in his brain.

"Mr McCoy, what do we do? Any idea how this happens? One minute we're in Mom's room and next, here we are. The thing is - "

"Where did you say you were in Jeremy?"

"In Mom's room. Why?"

"Later." Was Hank's curt reply as he bounded out of the room and into the elevator, fingers drumming impatiently on the floor panel. Once the elevator got onto the living quarters floor, he shot out and thundered for Rogue's room.

Hank slammed the bedroom door opened, rushing over to the LeBeaus. Jeremy was still cradling Rogue on the bed and his head was bowed. Both seemed to be unconscious. Gently slipping his huge furry arms under the boy and his mother, he carried them down to the infirmary carefully.

_Charles, thought I should inform you that there is something wrong with Rogue and Jeremy. I don't have much detail for now but will inform you when I have more,_ Hank sent a telepathic message to Professor Xavier.

By the time Hank reached the medical ward, the LeBeau illusion was gone. However, the stench of burning material hung in the air. 'Oh my, I did not turn off the boiling water bath,' Hank moaned at his forgetfulness and quickly killed the flame.

Placing Jeremy slowly onto a bed, he pried Rogue off from Jeremy's firm grip and placed her on another bed. Quickly Hank hooked up a heart monitor and another machine to monitor Rogue's brain activity. After a quick check over of her vital stats, he deduced that Rogue was physically healthy with the exception of being in a very deep sleep and having very erratic brain waves.

'Hmm, I wonder why…'

Jeremy was also well and that he was merely resting from exhaustion. Hank tucked the blanket around Jeremy and went to clear up his botched reducing sugars experiment; the thought of illusive Jeremy weighing heavily in mind.

Hank plopped down in his chair, staring out at the small garden in the Institute's back yard. In his mind's eye, he saw two cosy Southerners with their hands clasped and foreheads touching, lips slightly parted and barely moving. It was he who first knew that there was something more to the flirt-and-fight relationship between the two when he caught a glimpse of them together in peace. Sighing sadly, Hank turned away from the window and started typing an email to a Dr Moira McTaggart about her takes on the illusive Jeremy.

_Hank, how are Jeremy and Rogue?_

_Both are well and healthy, Charles except Rogue's in a coma and her brain waves are surprisingly hyperactive.

* * *

_

**Lilly:** Wow! You really have an issue with Rogue, don't you? That's a rarity. Anyway, thanks for reviewing. Hope you'd review this chapter too. Thanks

**Everwing:** Aw, thanks so much, hon. I feel so loved…LoL…

**BlkDiamond:** Hey, my first reviewer! Thanks so much for the reviews for my first story, I Hope You Dance, and the last chapter. You'll have to continue reading to find out what's Jeremy power(s), assuming that I include it/them into the nextchapter c'',)

**RemoteControlled:** Rogue-bashing? Wow, I've never thought of that angle. Should try to squeeze that into one of my stories..LoL..Remy's fatherly love huh? Jeremy will come after you for that, hon…LoL…

* * *

**Author's Note:** What the hell is going on with Jeremy? Is that whacked phasing his power? Care for a guess anyone? (grins) And what is going on in Rogue's toughly-guarded head? Well, I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the answers in the forthcoming chapters.

Meanwhile, have fun guessing and don't forget to leave me a review or two! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: **Nothing is mine, except for the plot. Anything in Marvel universe is not mine. Never had, never has, never will, never would.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I am so sorry for the very, very late update. I was really bogged down with a lot of happenings this month. I had a camp and concert to run (not forgetting the mountains of paperwork and endless meetings), school and lab sessions and never-ending reports to write up, a one-week hospitalisation and the many follow-ups and a cousin's forthcoming three-day wedding. 

Anyway, to prove that I'm really apologetic, I'll post up another chapter albeit shorter than usual _:grins widely:_

So, sit back and enjoy Thank You Remy Chapter 3.

* * *

(!#$&**In Rogue's Subconscious**&$#!)

"Chere! Stop! Please!"

Rogue ignored the pleading voice a few feet behind her and continued running. She had worn herself out from teleporting continuously for the past hour.

"Leave me alone!" Rogue's voice echoed eerily around the void as she phased herself through the ground she stood. She fell and continued falling. 'Why aren't I hitting anything?'

"This place is boundless, chere. There is no top or bottom or sides."

"You're lying!"

"Why would I? What would I gain from it?"

"So you can have your fucking wicked ways with me, that's what."

'Damn it, why am I still falling?' Rogue thought as the wind whipped around her. 'Why is he falling too? He can't phase.'

"I'm falling because I let myself fall, chere. The only way to stop this fall is to make yourself stop."

"Who the fuck do you think you are going into my head like that!"

"Chere - "

"Don't you chere me!"

Sadness flashed briefly in Remy's eyes. "All right. Marie - "

"You son of a bitch!" Rogue screamed and flung a hand at him, sending him flying through space.

Desperation burned in Remy's heart and he started to think twice about why he was trying to reach out to Rogue. He looked over at her retreating and shaking rage-filled figure when realisation dawned on him.

"Fuck!" Remy swore softly, unaware that Rogue heard him.

She continued falling, tears of anger and fear burning the back of her eyes. 'Stop!' she commanded and her fall jerked in suddenness, spilling a crystal clear tear.

-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-

'I can't do this now. Chere's too fragile and too close to breaking. I can't take the risk,' Remy thought. 'I'll give her some time and space.'

Remy's ruby-onyx orbs shone brightly. It was killing him to be forced to watch Rogue beat herself up about everything. He knew that she guilt-trip herself with the 'could have, should have, would have' cycle whenever something bad happened. Like unleashing Apocalypse and draining Cody into a coma. Both were beyond her control and yet she harboured the guilt.

"Why are you doing this, chere? Why are you refusing me? I thought we understood – understand – each other…" Remy mulled quietly as he shuffled a deck of cards.

-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-

'Oh God, why is he here? What is this supposed to mean?' Rogue wondered as she ran. She had to burn some nervous energy before she explode – literally.

She recalled their second encounter when he took her against her free will in order to rescue his adopted father, Jean-Luc LeBeau from the clutches of sworn enemy, The Rippers, how much she hated him, how much she wanted him to pay for toying with her, the flaming desire to pummel him to a bloody pulp. Yet, she respected her New Orleans companion for his strength to forgive his father's misdeeds towards him. What she never expected was for her stone cold heart to be captivated by the flirt. She hated him as much as she loved him. That much she knew.

As days passed, she found herself thinking about him – out of free will. Often, she would twirl and finger the roughened card as her mind worked overtime. Smiles of contentment and silliness would grace her face as God-knows-what she was thinking about. Sometimes, to the extent of being too preoccupied to notice her surroundings.

(!#$&**Rogue's Standpoint of Views**&$#!)

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­(!#$&**Flashback**&$#!)

"Are you like, smiling, Rogue?" Kitty asked as she tried to peer closer at Rogue's face.

Rogue backed up a little and snapped her reply, "My face was sore and I was merely stretching it. Get that right!"

"Right…" Kitty drawled and Rogue would chuck a pillow at the smug look plastered on her roommate's face.

(!#$&**End of Flashback**&$#!)

I have to chuckle. I could never hide anything from Kitty. Ever since Remy's… my relationship with Kitty has been on the rocks. We hardly hang out with each other, and when we do, the air would smell distinctly of awkward and nervous silence. When we pass each other, we just exchange some greetings and the occasional pleasantries. There are no conversations or any small talks.

Come to think of it, the last time I saw Bobby was practically eons ago. Once betting buddies, we are nothing but acquaintances now. Even THAT is questionable. Bobby is also always either with the X-Men or with Kitty.

Of course, she's his wife after all…

* * *

(!#$&**Flashback**&$#!)

"You like him, don't you?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Gambit. You like him."

Rogue stared at Jamie in shock. It wasn't the words that had her stumped, it was the way he said those words. He said them as a statement.

"Don't worry. I won't rat you out to the rest," Jamie reassured Rogue as he patted on her gloved hand.

Rogue flushed at being caught by someone a few years her junior. "Thanks Jamie. I really appreciate it."

(!#$&**End of Flashback**&$#!)

Everyone used to be against us, except for Kit and Jamie. Even the Professor, Ororo and Hank were disparaging. While they might fool everyone else into thinking that they pleaded on the fifth ground, I am not stupid. Both of us could sense the extreme caution they exercised, empathy-wise or not. Hell, they were practically radiating them! How the others could not notice was lost on me. They could be either fucking ignorant or too stupidly stupid. I chose the former.

Jamie has always been a sweet little boy, even as he matures into adulthood. He would always try to cheer me up whenever I was down. By pulling pranks on his clones or acting as The Three Stooges or anything else as long as I forget about my misery. Sometimes, he would even nip a flower or two. And get into deep shit with Ororo later. All for me.

I miss him. I miss Jamie Madrox, the playful yet thoughtful boy. These days, I try to avoid him as much as I can. Around me, he sobers up and becomes too thoughtful that it can be easily mistaken for being mousy. The fact that his bluer-than-blue eyes are so expressive cuts me up because his emotions would shine through. Guilt, sympathy, helplessness are some of the feelings that I have come across once too many.

I don't need pity. I have had enough of those to last me three lifetimes. I would very much rather be an invalid than…than…this! At least I can do something about that disability – physically. But this…this…this…ARGH!

* * *

Jean. Oh God, just the mention of her name was enough to make me fly into a rage. That girl was too preppy for my liking. She was always – ALWAYS – on my case. What ever for, I have no idea. She also liked going into my head for reasons unbeknownst to me. Her explanation? 

(!#$&**Flashback**&$#!)

"I'm just looking out for you, Rogue. I only have your welfare at heart, nothing else."

"My snooty ass."

"I swear, Rogue."

"Uh huh, and Santa's a professional gigolo."

(!#$&**End of Flashback**&$#!)

Man, that was so long ago. I hate to admit it but I miss the days when she would prod into my mind, only to have me pop the walls up her preppy nose. There were so many emotions on the roll then: annoyance, anger, hatred, boredom.

Anything but this guilt…

* * *

Christmas is coming soon. Well, 3 months and 17 days to be precise. Yeah, I know. That's like, not for another quarter of the year and I'm already griping about it. Hell, who wouldn't? When you've lost someone, you just want to get away from it all, you know what I mean? The super-cautious attitude everyone adopts, the small smiles of encouragements, the hugs that are supposed to be some source of strength, the I'm-always-here-for-you speeches. You just want everyone to be themselves around you. 

At the same time, you just want to run away and hole up in a place where the understanding of Christmas and anything related is non-existent. You just want to brood and get the week over with. You don't need reminders that you're spending Christmas without that someone or that there are no cuddles to be shared in front of the raging fire or someone to feed you cookies orspecial gifts to look forward to. In simple terms, 25th of December is just like any other day.

(!#$&**Flashback**&$#!)

The Xavier mansion was dark except for the small flicker of orange light emanating from one of the many rooms. All was quiet and peaceful. The cold crisp air smelled of sweet Christmas spirit and a hint of the enticing aroma of baking treats lingered.

Inside the lit room was a couple hidden beneath a heavy blanket, cuddled so lovingly. Rogue was seated between his legs and had her knees drawn up. With ease, Remy encircled her with his long and graceful arms. Rogue leaned back in contentment and Remy placed his chin lazily on her head.

"Today has been such a beautiful day, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, we had so much fun. Want to do it again?" Remy enquired huskily as he nuzzled Rogue's creamy white neck.

"You're so frisky today."

"You don't know the real friskiness of Remy LeBeau, chere."

Rogue laughed.

"Down boy, down. I want to enjoy Christmas without being mauled, you know." Rogue squealed when Remy nibbled the sensitive flesh.

Remy chuckled and said, "Must be the Christmas spirit."

Rogue giggled.

They watched the fire roar and fed each other bits of cookies and shared a cup of steaming hot chocolate. Occasionally, littering each other's faces with sweet little kisses.

"Remy! Enough! I don't need your Swampy scent!"

The playful kiss pulled back abruptly.

'Shit!' shot through Rogue's head.

"Remy, sugah? I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I - "

"It's okay, chere. You've made it clear," Remy said quietly, tears of sorrow lined his eyes. "Thank you for your honesty."

"Wait! Remy! I didn't mean it! I'm sorry! Please!"

Remy continued walking away. Doubts about her words continued to linger even after she had reassured him that all was forgiven and forgotten. But all those had been shot to hell.

"Remy! Please!" Rogue pleaded again and chased after Remy but it was in vain.

-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-

I'm sure she didn't mean it.

**Did she?**

Why would she?

**Isn't it that obvious? **

…

**Or is ignorance really that blissful?**

Shouldn't we give her the benefit of the doubt? 

**Don't forget your hunches are never wrong.**

Well…

**Come on, she said it herself!** **If she really have forgiven and forgotten, she wouldn't have mentioned that place.**

Could have been a slip of the tongue.

**Stop deceiving yourself, homme.** **It ain't doing you any good.**

Then what? Accept it as it is?

**Duh!**

But…

**Remember what your vow was? Never to feel for another fille #girl# . **

But Rogue is…different, unlike Belle.

**Really? In what way?**

Rogue cares for others, even if they don't see it. She stands up for her friends. She defends her rights and others. She fights for what she believes in. She sacrifices herself for others. Those are qualities that Belle will never possess. 

**Remy, you know Belle is more than that. She cares for others too. Remember the swamp incident? If it weren't for Belle, you would have wound up in the hospital. She stood up to Julien for Theo even though she hates his guts. She killed her own people so that you can be the heir to the Thieves' Guild, her Guild's archrival. Need I go on?**

I…I…I…don't know… 

The voices continued bickering in Remy's head. He wanted to believe Rogue so much that he frightened himself. At the same time, he did not want to want to believe her because he did not think he could cope with the all-too familiar heartache.

The thought of Belle, Jean-Luc, his Tante and New Orleans were his worst nightmare combination. No matter how the pieces were played, all of the outcomes were living nightmares – ones that he could do without in their entirety.

"I can't do this. Not again," Remy lamented as he trudged out and into the teeth-chattering coldness of the season.

Footprints became trails that would lead to a solitary bar.

-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-

'Oh God. Remy, please. I didn't mean it. I swear. It just spilled.' Rogue thought over and over again. She chanted them like a mantra, hoping that somehow, Remy could hear her. It was not without a reason to believe that it was possible because there was a certain bond between the couple, a bond so strong they were able to feel physically each other's pain despite the distances.

Rogue fixed her gaze outside the window as she listened, listened to something that she was not meant to know. Something personal that had failed to be guarded.

_Rogue cares for others, even if they don't see it. She stands up for her friends. She defends her rights and others. She fights for what she believes in. She sacrifices herself for others. Those are qualities that Belle will never possess. _

Rogue smiled wanly when she heard those words, until there came more.

**_Remy, you know Belle is more than that. She cares for others too. Remember the swamp incident? If it weren't for Belle, you would have wound up in the hospital. She stood up to Julien for Theo even though she hates his guts. She killed her own people so that you can be the heir to the Thieves' Guild, her Guild's archrival. Need I go on?_**

She listened in shock.

Could Remy still have feelings for Belle? Is it possible? Or did I push him to it? Questions swirled on top of Rogue's head.

'She's dead, remember?' Rogue chided herself. She had watched Belle die a cruel death and she remembered the surge of determination coursing into the littlest capillaries as she latched her fingertips precariously onto a thick branch.

Her eyes shone as she remembered the girl briefly.

"Remy sugah, wherever you are, I hope you're safe and warm. Even if it's in a seedy bar littered with predatorious _(no such word in the OED but you know what I mean)_ girls. I pray that you know that I'm really sorry for my callous remarks," Rogue prayed, her hands clasped in prayer style and head bowed.

"And please, come back to me."

-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-

Back in Big Boyz' seedy bar, sounds of toppled chairs and splintered tables cracked in the extremely smoky atmosphere. Scuffles could be heard. Slurred cuss words made the rounds. Screams of anger, hatred and annoyance were exchanged. Pandemonium continued until a huge explosion rocked the place.

(!#$&**Flashback**&$#!)

"Hey, hey, hey! Hands off my girl! Son of a bitch!"

Remy glared at the drunk, his ruby-onyx orbs glowing dangerously.

"What the fuck! I ain't your girl, you bastard. You're fat and you stink and you're just…fugly!"

"Yeah? Guess what? When I say you're mine, I mean you're mine. And you ain't denying it. Got it?" Faster than a blink of the eye, the drunkard had his meaty hand around the girl's throat.

The girl choked and clawed at the constricting hand in desperation.

With fluidity and swiftness that had been all-too-familiar, Remy charged a card and flung it into a pair of glazed beady eyes.

"**ARGH! MY EYES! THEY BURN!**"

"Never mistreat a fille #girl# if you know what's good for yourself," Remy warned in a low voice. A slight scent of burning paper lingered in the air and the crackles of the small flame seemed to explode in the ears of the shocked patrons.

"I'll get you for that, you coonasse _(a supposed derogatory term for Cajuns)_ mutant!" he screamed and lunged at Remy. Remy sidestepped and the drunkard crashed into a wall.

"He's a mutant! We must kill him before he gets to us all!" someone screamed amongst the crowd.

That snapped the people from their shock and they quickly rushed into the melee. Thus, chaos ensued.

A handful of the crowd tried to help Remy with little success. Remy was grateful nonetheless.

Emotions were on high, and he felt every single one. A peculiar emotion stunned him and a mutant-hater had a cheap shot in. A fist joined in and his assailant was knocked down.

"Are you okay?" a breathless voice asked.

"Oui #yes#." Remy stared into the piercing deep brown eyes of his ally. His eyes reflected what he was feeling and it scared Remy a little.

The man was radiating raging fear. Not the fear of Remy, but the fear for Remy.

'Something's up,' Remy thought and resumed fighting.

With some quick calculations, Remy concluded that the best way to get out of the silly fight was to blow up the place entirely. Agility succumbed to Herculean strength and Remy ripped the counter out. Chucking the wooden equipment to a corner, he directed his allies to go behind it. The enemies were too dumb to figure out what Remy was doing.

"You want a piece of me? Come get it!"

Everyone surged forward to where Remy was, the furthest corner at the back of the bar. The sharp ends of broken bottles glinted and portable knives gleamed menacingly in the dim lighting. However, Remy was unfazed. He stood proudly with his trusty bo staff in hand.

When the group was near enough, Remy charged the staff. The charge quickly spread into the surrounding matters. Remy held onto the staff tightly as the tingling sensation grew. He felt a little drained from charging so many objects at the same time but he smirked when he saw the panicky looks on their grubby faces.

"It's fucking hot!" a man swore and removed his jacket. It exploded in his hand and he screamed.

Everyone was perspiring buckets as they tried to fight off the growing heat. When the charge had spread as far and as wide as desired, Remy vaulted to the other end where his allies were and took cover.

(!#$&**End of Flashback**&$#!)

The staff stood for a second before it clanged onto the floor with a huge burst of kinetic release. That started the chain of explosions. Containers of beer, crates of liquor, age-old posters on walls were all incinerated. The old wooden flooring of the bar became cinders. Brick walls exploded, spewing thousands of hard bits. Bits of concrete rained to the ground.

Somehow, amidst the commotion, loud guffaws of laughter could be heard. Tears of laughter were rolling down some of the faces.

'This turns out better than Remy thought,' Remy mulled as he watched the hilarity of the situation. However, his handsome face remained passive. He could not laugh or even smile. His muscles were too tired and his heart felt dead.

He looked around as Drunkard and Co. scampered around clumsily in search of something to cover themselves up. The allies watched as assets were jostled carelessly and the consequences. While they laughed whole-heartedly, Remy walked away discreetly.

He approached a dazed man, probably the owner of the bar.

"Homme?"

The man looked up.

"Je suis desolé #I'm sorry#. I didn't mean to destroy your bar. This your livelihood?"

The man looked away and nodded numbly. Remy reached into his trench coat and removed a thick wad of large bills.

"Here," Remy offered. "Take them. There is enough for you to start all over. Do a decent job and you should have a better bread."

The owner refused to take the money. "I'm not a charity case!" he replied hotly.

Remy sighed. "Fine, then I'm compensating for the damages."

It was obvious the man wanted to take up the offer but something was holding him back. It was his pride probably. Remy waited for the owner to make up his mind.

"Think of your wife and kids and how much these will help."

That sealed the deal. The man agreed and took the money albeit hesitantly. Remy patted his hand in assurance and ventured out into the cool winds.

-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-

Rogue wrapped the blanket around her tighter as she stared out into the snow-blanketed woods.

"Lord, Remy. You're so strong. You care so much for others, even when you're hurting," Rogue remarked softly.

Yes, Rogue knew what had happened. She had seen and heard everything although she was miles from the cindered bar.

-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-

Remy tugged his well-worn trench coat around him in the cold weather, contemplating what to do next when he heard a raspy voice and loud sniffles.

Usually, Remy would let what ever be what ever it was, just not that time. He recognised the voice.

Creeping stealthily, Remy listened to the heart-wrenching confession. He was struck by the immense grief and decided to lend a shoulder and probably a listening ear too.

There he was, the man who had saved Remy, hunched and shaking with anger and revenge. Slowly, Remy placed an arm around the man in comfort and the man cried harder. Remy knew that what the man went through must have been very bad because it had reduced him, a brute like Logan, to a pathetic bunch of nerves.

Despite the shield Remy had erected against the man's emotions, the intense sadness still seeped through. Remy cried along, continuously thinking, 'No one deserves this much sadness.'

They remained in the same position for a few more minutes when the man said, "If only I had sent my boy to the Xavier Institute…" and his voice cracked.

Remy knew what the man meant. His boy would have lived then.

"We were happily married and Janice found out she was pregnant. We were ecstatic until my boy's birth."

Remy waited for the man to continue.

"He…he wasn't like any normal baby. He was green. Everything about him was green. His hair, his skin, even his tongue. Only his eyes were white, completely white. When he cried for the first time…"

The man could not continue. He was too bogged down with mixed feelings. Words failed him and repressed memories ravaged at the back of his mind.

He choked back a sob but more came on.

"Let me share your burden," Remy coaxed. The man nodded.

"When he cried, he…he…killed everything in the hospital. Everyone died. Doctors, nurses, patients. Even the machines were damaged beyond repair. Somehow, only Janice and I survived. We didn't know what to do, so we ran."

The man clenched his eyes shut as he recalled the painful memory.

"We ran home first to get all the stuff that we might need. My sister-in-law was at home when we got there. We tried to get out of the house as fast as possible before my baby could cry again, but my sister-in-law refused to let us out. We begged her but she remained adamant. The matter became worse when her parents came over. He screamed. We took to the streets and I tried to soothe my baby."

"When we finally got him to calm down, we surveyed the damages. They were extensive and widespread. For many miles, the massacre stretched. Nothing was spared."

The man ended but Remy knew there was more.

"What else could we have done if not run? We kept at it for 2 months. Two miserable months. During that time, Janice has had enough and left us. She couldn't accept the fact that our baby was a…mutant and a…killer. We were surrounded by death everyday and Janice just couldn't take it."

"I couldn't abandon my baby. He's an innocent child – my flesh and blood. If I didn't take care of him, no one would. We lived day by day, resorting to looting in order to survive. Later, a doctor came to us and said he could help my boy. I was hesitant at first but we had nothing to lose if anything bad happens, so we went ahead."

"We entered a lab. It was very impressive. There were also many weird-looking creatures. They must have scared my baby because he cried almost instantaneously. Surprisingly, nothing happened. No one was writhing in pain, electronics were not disrupted. It was like it didn't happen at all. The doctor then informed me that the lab was protected from my baby's powers. After some tests, we found out that his scream was like a sonic boom," the man paused "and that was not a good thing."

Remy winced at the implication of how grave things really were.

"Then, it happened. We were under attack. It appeared out of nowhere. Bullets sprayed everywhere and grenades littered the floor. In a moment, another team arrived and they started fighting each other. The good doctor fought hard against the intruders but never had the upper hand. I tried to hide when my boy was snatched from my arms. He cried and wailed. Nothing happened. I could only watch as he was roughly handled. He was petrified…but it didn't last long."

The man trembled so much his knees buckled under him. Remy caught him before he could hit the ground.

Remy felt the heaviness the man felt. He wanted to cry, to rant and rave but he would not let himself. All because it had been instilled in him that 'Men do not cry, only sissies do.'

"Let it all out," Remy whispered into his ear.

And the man cried his fill, anguish and bitterness wracking his tired soul. Remy continued to hold him until he fell asleep from exhaustion.

* * *

HEY YOU! YES, YOU! Leave me a review before you change the page, all right? 

c'',)


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: **Nothing is mine, except for the plot. Anything in Marvel universe is not mine. Never had, never has, never will, never would.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Here's the next instalment to Thank You Remy. Shorter than usual but an important chapter nonetheless. 

So, happy reading! And don't forget to leave a review too!

* * *

(!#$&**Back to Rogue's Subconscious**&$#!)

Rogue sighed and sat on crossed legs. She stared into the emptiness and let her thoughts run wild.

'Why did I fall for Remy? How could I let him break me? Why did I let the Rogue be broken? What did I hope to gain? What did he hope to get? My love? He knows I don't love easily, hell, he'd be lucky if I even trust him in the first place.'

After some time, Rogue gave up. She was coming up with questions that even she did not know how to answer. Instead, she decided to pick apart their relationship.

'Remy is a world-class womaniser. I couldn't even talk to Cyke without blushing,' Rogue thought, referring to her God-forbidden once girlish crush on the X-Men's stick-in-the-ass leader.

'Remy is a gentleman.'

'Remy basks in any sort of attention, not me.'

'Remy doesn't bear grudges.'

'Remy cares for Jean-Luc even though JL used him.'

'Remy doesn't let his heart rule his head.'

Remy, Remy, Remy. That was all Rogue could think about although she would never admit it. She was thrilled that Remy was around, yet somehow, she was not.

(!#$&**In the Med Lab**&$#!)

Jeremy sat vigil by Rogue's side. Three days had passed and there was no change in Rogue. Hank was beginning to worry. Kitty, Kurt, Bobby, Piotr, Ororo, Logan, the Professor, Jean and Scott had visited the LeBeaus. Everyone was disappointed that there was nothing either could do to help.

"Come on Jeremy. You haven't had anything since breakfast and now it's nearing dinner time. Even then, you didn't finish your slice of toast in the morning."

"It's okay, Mr Summers. I'm not hungry," Jeremy replied softly.

"But you still -"

"Mr Summers, Mrs Summers is looking for you," Rosalyn intervened before Scott gave his patented lecture.

"Oh, thank you, Rosalyn." Scott walked out of the room and reminded Jeremy about his health before disappearing down the corridor.

Both Rosalyn and Jeremy breathed sighs of relief.

"Thanks Rosalyn, for saving me and for coming over," Jeremy smiled wanly.

'He looks so much older,' Rosalyn thought.

"It's nothing. I'm just glad to be of help." Rosalyn pulled up a chair and sat beside Jeremy. A hand clasped Jeremy's and the other caressed his face.

Jeremy looked as if he had aged over a few years compressed into a few days. Creases lined his wide forehead and his face was dry and rough to the touch. The smiles that graced his luscious blood red lips had been replaced with frowns. Eyebags protruded perceptibly against his gaunt face. The sparkle of zest for life had extinguished in his emerald-onyx eyes.

Rosalyn's heart broke as she saw how much weight Jeremy had lost.

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Nothing. Please drop the subject."

"No."

"Why!" Jeremy snapped. He was sick and tired of everyone being on his case.

"Because I'm trying to prevent trouble from brewing over."

"What do you mean?"

"At the rate you're going, everyone knows Dr. McCoy, Mr. Logan and Mr. Summers are going to put you on a drip until you start eating properly."

"Yeah? Try me!" Jeremy challenged.

Rosalyn sighed. Apparently pig-headedness runs in the veins of the LeBeau family.

"Think of your Mom even if you don't care about your health. Think how hurt she'll feel if she knows you're forsaking your health just to watch her sleep. How would you feel if I were to do the same for you?"

Jeremy stared into the piercing blue orbs that he loved so much. He knew she was right but found it extremely difficult to extricate himself from the place he had claimed as his.

"You don't have to go up if you really don't want to, but you'll have to promise me something."

"What is it?"

"When I bring down your meals, I expect you to finish them as much as you can eat. Can you promise me that?"

Jeremy thought over for a second, "Okay. I can do that."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Rosalyn smiled in satisfaction and gave Jeremy a peck to the lips. Jeremy blushed crimson and Rosalyn laughed.

"A BLT sandwich, some crackers and a glass of milk?"

"Sounds good to me."

With that, Rosalyn took to the crowding kitchen with a skip in her steps.

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-

"Kid?" Logan called gruffly to Rosalyn.

"Yes, Mr. Logan?"

"Where's Junior?"

"He's still at the Med Lab. I'm bringing down his dinner," Rosalyn replied as she set about making Jeremy's sandwich.

"What about you? Aren't you eating?"

"Later. Just keep for me some food."

"Hmm."

-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-

Jeremy stared at Rogue. His mind was blank. He did not know what else to think. He had asked Mr. McCoy countless times why his mom had not regain consciousness and every time, he received the same reply, "We are still determining the cause."

"I've been wanting to talk to you, Mom. It's about us and…pere," Jeremy started. Mr. McCoy had encouraged him to talk to Rogue even if she was comatose. 'Comatose people can hear when someone talks to them, and it helps them to recover too.' was his reasoning.

"I thought the bond between us would remain strong no matter what. However, it was easily done for when…pere…died. We couldn't talk without screaming or reason without threatening. We became distant…and I…missed you, Mom."

Jeremy blinked at some tears stinging his sensitive eyes.

"It feels like I've lost you too. I feel so lost and lonely. Rosalyn may be here to help me but the void in my heart never left. While she is my everything, she doesn't have something that you have. Something that only you have."

"I miss your touch, your kisses, your laughs."

"I miss you, Mom. I miss my mommy's love."

Immediately after his confession, Jeremy burst into a mess of suppressed tears. The confession had allowed him the tranquillity that he so desperately craved for. His shoulders felt much lighter and his head became much clearer, and his heart did not feel as cold as it had.

The confession had also worn Jeremy out and he slipped into a peaceful slumber for the first time since Remy's passing on.

-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-

"Chuck, any idea what's wrong with Stripes?"

"I've been trying but I cannot figure out what's going in her mind," the Professor paused for a beat. "Her shields are exceptionally strong."

"Maybe she doesn't want anyone to know what's going on. I don't know."

"Yeah, it won't be the first time too."

"Who knows? That chica's always so moody and anti-social."

"I believe she's still mourning, child. Give her more time."

"How much longer? He's been dead for close to six months already!"

"Hey! Mourning has no limits, so deal with it!" Amara snapped, flames dancing around her in bursts of anger. She had lost her parents to an assassination some years ago and the truth stung her everytime at the mere mention of death. Quickly, she retreated to her room.

"Amara, wait!"

Everybody watched as Roberto rushed to his feet.

"Rogue deserves it."

Everyone stared at a red-head. Shock and disapproval were clearly written on the faces of those who had heard.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Come on, Mr McCoy. You know what I mean. Nothing good ever comes out with Rogue. What made you think Remy will last with her?" Jean scoffed.

"Liar, you good-for-nothing fiend!"

"Me fiend? You're the fiend!"

"You were the one who killed Remy!"

A low growl rumbled in the background but Jean did not take notice.

"What proof do you have?"

"You…uh…uh…you…" Kitty looked over to her teammates for help. Sadly, none of them could be of service.

"And you have the nerve to accuse me!"

"Oh, just shut it, Grey. Everybody knows Remy rejected you and you couldn't stand the fact that he belongs to Rogue," Bobby, who had been quiet throughout, finally spoke up.

Jean slammed a fist on the table and stood up.

"Look, I wasn't about to give him up without a fight."

"So you killed him."

"No, it was a mistake. It was for that skunk bitch but the Cajun took the fall for her, but it's okay. If I can't have him, I'll make sure skunk bitch can't have him too," Jean sneered with malice.

Before anyone could retort, a loud **SNIKT** unsheathed a set of razor-sharp claws.

"You ever lay a wrong finger on Stripes and I'll slice you to chunks," Logan threatened as he pointed the claws at Jean's throat, who raised an arrogant eyebrow.

That infuriated Logan and he slammed his claws into the wall with Jean still in the line of fire.

"Was that supposed to scare me? Ooh, I'm so scared I'm shaking in my boots," Jean replied mockingly. With a telekinetic push at Logan, she floated out of the hushed kitchen.

"What's her problem?"

"Don't know, don't care." Kitty was still steamed at Jean's bitching. No one bad-mouthed about people she cared and got away with it.

"And here I thought she really cared for Rogue."

"Yeah, a very sad thing it was all a façade."

Professor Xavier applauded several times to get the attention of the residents. "Come, let us finish this dinner before the food turns cold."

Everyone resumed eating but conversations were kept to a minimal and Logan stormed to the Danger Room to work off some superheated steam.

-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-

**PIANG!**

The sharp sound reverberated against the walls of the dining room. Eyes widened in shock as they watched an apparition gaped and close inaudibly.

'FUCK!' went through practically everyone's heads.

The apparition faded off slowly and Laura Kinney (X-23) frowned.

"Oh my stars and garters! It happened again."

"Was that what happened while I was away, Hank?"

"Was that Jeremy?"

"Yes, and both Dr McTaggart and I have come up with a few possibilities."

"Like, what just happened?"

"But I thought he doesn't have any powers?"

"X, what's wrong?"

Laura looked up from where she was, disdain contorting her tan features.

"I can't get a scent."

"But he was here just seconds ago! Everybody saw him!"

"Was that him? I mean, really him?"

"Yeah, for all we know it could have been a hologram."

"Or an out-of the body experience."

"Cool!"

"Hey," Jamie said, concernmarring his handsome features, "Did Jeremy hear what the bitch said?"

Silence transcended for a second before a stampede rocked the mansion.

-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-

Rosalyn was seated beside Jeremy, gently stroking his unruly auburn locks. She stared at his angelic face, her heart swelling with so much love for the boy. She was so engrossed with her thoughts she did not notice the tremors until she fell off her seat.

**THUMP!**

Rosalyn landed ungracefully on her bottom. She scowled at her luck and jumped when muted crashes were heard. She turned her head and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Get off me, you fat oaf," Nathan whined as he was plastered to the sliding glass of the Med Lab.

After grunts and some cuss words, Nathan was able to peel himself off from the thick glass. Thankfully, the Professor had in mind to have the glass doors of Med Lab bullet- and shatter-proof.

"See what happened? I specifically told you guys to slow down!" Scott admonished.

"It's all right, Scott."

"Out of the way," Logan growled. Immediately, the masses parted to give way to the feral Canadian.

"Is Junior still asleep, Kid?"

"Yes."

"Were you here the entire time?"

"Yes, I have, Professor. What's wrong? What's going on?"

Murmurs could be heard and Rosalyn's heart raced.

"Calm down, child. We're just asking because we thought we saw Jeremy at the dining room a few minutes earlier."

Storm specifically used the word 'thought' because she did not want to alarm the girl. She knew everyone saw Jeremy standing clearly against the china display at dinner.

"Oh. Is that all?"

"Yes. Would you like to have your dinner now?"

Rosalyn nodded.

"Kurt, would you please escort Rosalyn to the kitchen where her dinner is?"

Kurt nodded and bamfed himself and Rosalyn to their destination.

"For the rest of you, please return to the dinner table and finish your food; and those of you who are done, I believe there are some assignments to be completed."

Everybody groaned and grouched as Scott and Ororo assisted the Professor in getting the students out of the Med Lab. Meanwhile, Logan merely leaned against a wall and kept watch of everything.

* * *

The next chapter should be up around mid-January 2006 (or maybe earlier), so don't forget to tune in! 

P/s: I hate the fact that we, authors, are not allowed to response to reviews on our chapters..pff..farny policy..


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER:** Little me own nothing in here but the plot. There – short and sweet.

**Author's Note:** Okay, I know I said I would post this up last month, and I didn't. I'm really sorry. Things picked up the pace and (winces) you know what happened then.

As usual, no review responses allowed (grouches) but a **HUGE** thank you to all, those who reviewed and didn't. I hope I've replied personally to all reviews.

So, sit back and you may begin reading c'',)

* * *

(!#$&**In Jeremy's Mind** &$#!)

_…deserves it…_

_Come on…McCoy…know…I mean…good comes…Rogue…made…think Remy…last…her…_

_Liar…good-for…fiend!_

_…fiend? You're the…_

_…were…who…Remy…_

_…proof…have…_

_…uh…uh…you…_

_…you…the…to accuse…_

_…just…Grey…knows Remy rejected…and you…stand the fact that…to Rogue…_

_Look, I…about…give up without…_

_So you…him…_

_No, it…mistake…was for that…bitch but the…the fall for…but…okay…If I…him, I'll make sure skunk…can't have…_

_No, it can't be true. Lies! They're all lies!_

(!#$&**Back To The Present**&$#!)

Emerald-onyx eyes slowly flickered to life.

'My…head...' Jeremy thought.

He lifted his head slowly and opened his eyes gently against the harsh lighting of the Med Lab. The throbbing in his head intensified and he moaned at the incessant pounding. It did not help that the room was spinning as well.

Bits and pieces of conversations rang at the back of his head and Jeremy thought harder. However, the harder he tried to recall, the harder it was for him to make sense what all of it meant. All he could identify was anger – intense raging anger for a certain red-head.

'Why can't I recall anything? Man, this sucks!'

After some time, Jeremy gave up. Instead, he contended himself with running his nimble fingers through his sleeping mother's locks.

"Junior?"

Jeremy opened his eyes to slits just so that he could identify the speaker.

"Hey, Mr. Logan," he croaked. "What time is it now?"

"Almost midnight."

His head plopped onto the bed, the utter confusion weighing heavily in his groggy mind. His stomach rumbled and he cursed it under his breath. The fogged mess had killed his appetite.

"Better eat something, Junior."

By then, the drumming in his head had lessened to a tolerable throb, so Jeremy complied immediately. That was something Remy had taught his son. _"Better to comply and get it over with when Monsieur Claws uses that tone."_

The sandwich had become chilled and soggy and the crackers were soft from over-exposure to air but he still forced them down his parched throat. The food tasted horrible and to rid them off the taste, he washed them down with a tall glass of cold milk.

After eating, Jeremy left the Med Lab to freshen up and get some stuff from his bedroom. On the way there, he heard hushed conversations. He went closer and strained his ears to listen better.

'I wish I had Wolvie's sense of hearing.'

"…Rogue…Remy…"

"…death…bitch…Remy's death…"

A burst of white light exploded in Jeremy's vision and the pounding returned with much vengeance. His eyes were pulsating and his head felt like exploding. He groped for something to hold onto when the splitting headache besieged him, claiming him for the second time.

But not before a familiar silhouette caught his eye.

(!#$&**Remy's Point of View**&$#!)

"Why is this happening now?" Remy asked rhetorically and softly as he watched Jeremy fall to the floor.

Remy would have caught his son from hitting the ground if only he could. Instead, he chose to stand watch over his son, twirling his ever-faithful bo staff deftly in silence.

He knew what was causing Jeremy's blackouts and headaches. Heck, he had the same power as Jeremy. The only difference was Remy was dead – in a sense.

With nothing to do, Remy thought over the past few days.

'Why is Remy here?'

'To help chere and Jeremy move on.'

'Why Remy?'

'Becausehe's the last resort.'

'What if Remy don't make it?'

'…No, I can't think like that.' Remy winced. He really did not want to fathom the consequences should he fail.

'How does Remy plan to go about then?'

Remy paused in mid-twirl and ruby-onyx orbs fixated on the unconscious boy. He watched as the boy's chest rise and fall, where with every breath, his heart swelled with unduly love and strengthened his determination to ace this particular mission.

'That I promise you,' Remy vowed steely.

Remy fidgeted. He was restless. He could not just stand there and do nothing, so he walked over to Jeremy. Silently, he crouched to Jeremy's level. A hand extended, moving so slowly as if afraid. Gently, he laid a hand on Jeremy's hot forehead. It phased through and Remy sighed sadly.

"Pere has to go now, petit. He'll be back. Take care and rest well," Remy said as he dropped a feather-light kiss onto Jeremy's sweaty forehead.

"Je t'aime, mon fils. #I love you, my son.# "

(!#$&**Rogue's Mind**&$#!)

"Alright Rogue, you have had more than enough time already. I'm coming for you," Remy said into the dark space. He knew Rogue could hear him. There was no way she could not.

"NO!" The reply echoed, just as intense as before.

"Yes I am, like it or not," Remy muttered.

Rogue was sitting pretzel style a few feet away, unaware that Remy was heading stealthily for her. By the time she noticed the towering apparition over her, it was too late. She tried the same old trick but a calm hand on her shoulder stopped her in her track.

"Let me go."

"Non."

Rogue closed her eyes and concentrated harder. Nothing happened. She could not teleport or phase as long as the hand was there.

She swung a hand onto her shoulder, in hope of overthrowing the intruder. It phased through. She kneed his shins, she punched his toes, she clawed at the hand, she grabbed at him, yet, everything failed.

A sweat rolled down the side of her face.

"I did it once, I'll do it again!"

Remy merely watched.

Rogue swung her arms around wildly, she tried rolling away, standing, squirming, slinking, snaking, crawling – all in vain. Even kicking Remy did not seem to fare any better than others.

'I don't believe this! This is ridiculous!'

Perspiration fell in rivulets, matting her platinum streaks to her forehead. Rogue was drained and she had run out of ideas on how to escape from Remy's 'evil' clutch.

'This is not right. This is my head, my mind. I should be the one in control,' Rogue thought as she rested her weary body.

'I'm overlooking something…but what?'

Rogue resettled into her lotus-style sitting position, body upright and arms lay limp on her toned thighs.

_When you're lost, think back step-for-step. Focus on the details and do not rush_, she recalled an old advice that saw her through the many times of uncertainty and when all hopes seemed lost.

'Right. That's what I need to do.' Rogue took a deep breath, freed her mind and travelled back in time mentally.

Everything was silent, even the loud banging of the walled-up psyches had stopped. It was as if time had slowed down to slow motion.

In…out…in…out…in…out…

Suddenly, emerald orbs snapped open, fire burning brightly. Sharp crimson replaced the china white of her skin, lips upturned into an ugly snarl.

"I've always knew you were a sad lowlife but never would I have thought you would stoop to such low levels, you pathetic lower-than-pond scum bastard," Rogue growled. With a finger flick, she had Remy levitating.

"You have been nothing but a resilient thorn in my flesh. You used me, you lied to me, you blackmailed me and you…hurt me in unthinkable ways."

'No, you are NOT going to cry now. You will tell it to his face with all transparency,' Rogue admonished herself.

"And I will not tolerate any mind control from you LeBeau, not even an attempt."

The light in Remy's eyes dimmed with sadness for a second before they re-ignited with ferocity.

"Je suis desolè chere #I'm sorry dear#. It's for your own sake," Remy said as he fell to the ground.

"Wha – " Realisation dawned on Rogue. "NO! You will not control me!"

"I will if I must."

"Then I will not be accountable for your demise – again!"

"If that's the way you want it."

Both Remy and Rogue closed their eyes in deep concentration, each strongly motivated by circumstances and their own sense of purpose.

The immense force pushed them off their feet but they held their ground. Breeze picked up and whipped Rogue's auburn-platinum locks unruly and Remy's ponytail flared at the end. The wind howled in their ears and the emptiness surrounding them vibrated with the growing intensity of the force.

"You have got to stop chere. You'll only be hurt more."

"I will not go down without a fight! Not with you!"

"Then you leave me with no choice," Remy ended.

(!#$&**Med Lab**&$#!)

"Mr McCoy!" Rosalyn screamed as she watched Rogue tremble in bed. Rogue had gone paler than usual and she looked like she would melt into the pristine white sheets.

The trembling intensified and Rosalyn shrieked in fright.

Hank rushed as soon as he heard the scream.

"What happened!" Hank commanded harshly, urgency misplacing his manners.

He looked at the monitors and stared. Something was not right. Rogue's vital stats were stable, including her brainwaves.

Ororo came by and placed her hands on Rosalyn's shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"It's Rogue. She convulsed but her stats are all stable. This is not making any sense."

"Could the machines have malfunctioned?"

"Impossible. They just came back from maintenance."

"Maybe you imagined it. After all, you have hardly any rest since Rogue was admitted," Ororo asserted.

"No, no. I did not imagine it. Ms Edwards can verify for me."

Rosalyn's thoughts broke off at the mention of her name. "I saw it too, Ms Monroe."

"All right, so it was real. But that does not mean you do not have to rest Hank," Ororo said.

Hank held his tongue. He knew better than to protest when Ororo was looking at him rather pointedly.

"Child, would you prefer hot chocolate or coffee?"

"Coffee please. Thank you."

Hank threw a glance at his sleeping patient as he walked out of the Med Lab.

'The surveillance cameras are running. The alarms are loud and clear. The machines are in good condition. Nothing could go wrong,' Hank thought.

'Right?'

(!#$&**Back to Rogue's Mind**&$#!)

By now, howling winds were screeching, as if in unbearable pain. Temperature dipped and the vastness of space was compacting. Rogue gasped at the pressure pressing upon her. She felt as though her body was being crushed. Her trachea constricted and she was blinded for a second.

But Rogue would not go down. She would rather die trying than submit.

'I have to move forward. I NEED to!' Rogue urged herself. She knew it was ethically wrong in a fight but she was going to do it. Damn all who opposed her!

Remy smiled grimly. He was very disappointed that Rogue refused to listen to him. It did not discourage him but it hampered his efforts.

"Last chance, chere. After that, there's no turning back," Remy said, hoping on the negligible percentage that Rogue would change her mind.

In reply, Rogue lunged at Remy with blistering speed. An outstretched hand aiming for the cold flesh on his face.

'Wrong move, chere. Wrong move,' Remy thought as he waved a hand lethargically. Rogue halted in her tracks immediately, eyes widened and jaw slackened.

The wind froze instantaneously, its whipping force distinctly visible. The temperature remained and the space had stopped packing.

"Il n'a pas dû arriver comme ce chere. Ceci était que je n'avais pas planifié. #It didn't have to happen like this chere. This wasn't what I had planned#" Remy said quietly as he stared into the frozen emeralds. He traced a finger from her lips to her hairline, running a soft hand over her stilled shocking tresses.

"Vous n'a pas d'idée qu'il est cruel pour moi vous faire ceci, chere. Comment je pourrais mourir juste regardant vous aime ceci. #You have no idea how cruel it is for me to do this to you, chere. How I could die just watching you like this.#" Remy turned away before the sight could overwhelm him.

'Il y a le beaucoup de travail être fait. Leur mieux obtient avant de c'est trop tard. #There's much work to be done. Better get to them before it's too late.#'

(!#$&**Back To The Present**&$#!)

Laura was filling in what happened after Amara left when she caught a soft striking sound. She squinted her eyes and cocked her head to one side, as if to hear better. All the while wondering why was she not getting any foreign scent. Curiosity got the better of her and she crouched to their bedroom door.

"What's up, X?"

X-23 quickly hushed her roommate, who rolled her eyes at her paranoia.

As quietly as a mouse, Laura peered around the door. What she saw shocked her so much that she tumbled to the floor with a loud adamantium **THUMP**, and Amara winced.

Amara pushed the door open and raised an eyebrow at the unconscious figure. Meanwhile, Laura was staring unhappily at Jeremy.

"You wait here. I'll get Mr McCoy," Amara said as she took off to the Med Lab.

"MR McCOY! ARE YOU HERE?"

_Amara, I believe there is no need to be screaming around for the doctor,_ Professor Xavier told his student telepathically.

_Sorry Professor. Any idea where Mr McCoy is?_

_He is in the kitchen._

_Thanks Professor._

_You're welcome._

(!#$&**In The Kitchen**&$#!)

"Hank, please. You need a break away from the infirmary and everything in it."

"I know 'Ro. It's just that I'm so close to the answer yet it's so far," Hank cited the cause of his unhappiness. "Something is going on with Rogue. I know it, I can feel it but I cannot explain nor prove it."

"What about Jeremy?"

"Jeremy? What's wrong with him?" Rosalyn asked with panic. Her eyes darted nervously from one adult to the other. "Mr McCoy? Ms Monroe?"

"You do know that Jeremy has a very big possibility of being a mutant, right?"

Rosalyn nodded.

"Lately, strange things have been happening in this mansion; and all of them revolved around Jeremy."

"Like what things?"

"Remember when you brought Jeremy his dinner in the Med Lab? Before everyone gate-crashed?"

Rosalyn nodded again.

"One of them occurred while we were having dinner. An argument broke out and some chinaware was broken. That was when we saw Jeremy, or so we thought. Hence the gate-crash party."

"Oh," Rosalyn said softly.

"I think Junior's powers are beginning to surface."

The trio turned towards the voice nursing a bottle of Baron's Strong Brew.

"Powers? As in more than one?"

"Yeah."

"Before Junior woke up, I heard water dripping from a tap. I went over and twisted the knob closed. A drop hung onto the mouth and Junior was stirring awake. I told the kid to eat something and he waved me off. I didn't notice anything then. It was only after he went up to his room that I saw the drop of water suspended," Logan explained.

"Is the drop of water still there?" Hank asked hopefully, the thought of batteries of experiments and volumes of theories perking him up.

"Sorry bub, it ain't no more."

Hank's face fell.

"It disappeared when I touched it."

Three pairs of eyebrows rose.

Logan had a swig before answering. "You heard me right. It vanished just like that."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"It didn't go down the drain?"

"No."

"Did it touch the wash basin?"

"No," Logan growled. The Twenty-Question game was starting to irritate him.

"Was there any remnant on your finger when you touched the drip?"

"No!"

"Is it possi –"

"GODDAMN IT HANK! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

A loud crunch and soft tinkers were heard. Blood oozed between balled stubby fingers, thick red blood pooling at the threshold.

"Look, I've told you all I know that happened. There was no scent of chlorine or dampness. It was like it never happened."

Questions arose but no one said anything and before Logan left, he said, "Leave the mess. I'll clean it up later."

Hank stood up, stretching his exhausted muscles and loaded his mug into the dishwasher.

"Thank you for the coffee and company 'Ro. You too Rosalyn. I will be in the Med Lab if you need me."

With that said, Hank turned and left.

Ororo closed her eyes and shook her head quietly, disappointment creeping about the fact that all her efforts had been shot to hell.

Rosalyn just looked out the kitchen window.

Just then Amara came barging into the kitchen.

"Mr McCoy?" Amara looked around quickly. "Where's Mr McCoy?"

"Med Lab."

(!#$&**In the Med Lab**&$#!)

Hank stooped over the microscope, examining a recent slide of Rogue's blood cells. Although his keen eye was trained on the slide, it was unseeing. His mind was wondering too much to notice a red blood cell in mid-lysis.

A knock resonated throughout the quiet infirmary and Hank looked up.

"Mr McCoy?"

"Yes, Kitty?"

"Here," Kitty said as she showed Hank a transparent disc. "I've finished the programme you wanted. Do you want me to install it for you?"

"Yes please."

A few quick jabs at the computer keyboard and the installation started running.

"I've set the programme to run updates after the installation is complete," Kitty said as she stood up and straightened her soft purple floral print dress and fluffed her curled hair.

"Going somewhere?"

"Yup, fishing." Kitty grinned widely.

Hank gave a small laugh. "Alright, have fun then."

Kitty nodded and waved as she exited the room.

Slowly he treaded across the room and over to his computer. He sat in his big comfy swivel chair and he skimmed through Dr McTaggart's reply. _A passing phase…psychology issues…mutation powers…spirituality…_

Hank pinched the bridge of his nose. Unenthusiastically, he looked around the infirmary. His eyes rested on the running screen and he watched as profiles of the X-Men were cleaned up and updated.

Moments passed and the programme stopped running. Big red words flashed angrily on the screen.

It stated 'NEW DISCOVERIES FOUND'.

And it was a LeBeau's file.

* * *

O.o so, which LeBeau's file is it? Jeremy or Rogue's? Tell me what you think. Meanwhile, leave me a review? Thanks ;-) 


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